'Ruthless' William Fraser guilty of Aberdeen abduction and rape

William Fraser, 22, described by police as "ruthless", carried out the attack in October last year.

The 23-year-old victim, who gave evidence from behind screens, had broken down in tears when shown photos of her injured face after the incident.

Sentence at the High Court in Edinburgh was deferred. The attack in the Powis area had sparked a major police manhunt.

It saw one of the largest investigations of recent times in Grampian, with more than 130 officers involved.

The woman had come to Scotland to study and had thought Aberdeen was "the safest place in the world".

This woman is to be commended for her courageDet Supt Martin Dunn

She said she thought she was going to die during the attack.

Defence solicitor advocate Iain Paterson said Fraser had no history of sexual offending, but added: "Obviously in light of the jury's verdict a substantial custodial sentence will be imposed on this young man."

The judge deferred sentence on him until next month and remanded him in custody.

'Disturbing behaviour'

Lady Scott said she wanted an assessment carried out on the risk he posed of potential serious harm to women and the public.

Fraser committed the offence having twice been granted bail at Aberdeen Sheriff Court.

Det Supt Martin Dunn said: "We welcome this conviction as this was an intensive investigation which involved a dedicated team of officers intent on bringing William Fraser to justice.

"Fraser is a ruthless individual and clearly had a complete disregard for the significant trauma this has caused to a young woman who was simply heading home from her work.

"He will now have to face the consequences of his disturbing behaviour."

He added: "This woman is to be commended for her courage in coming forward and enduring the ordeal of re-living the incident whilst giving evidence, and I have no doubt this has helped play a significant role in securing Fraser's conviction.

"Although such incidents are rare in the city, I am aware that it was a cause of much concern to local residents in the Powis and Bedford Road area and I thank them for their valuable assistance and support during the investigation."